This is one of my all time favorite side dishes that I just can’t stop eating. Not only is it delicious, but its incredibly cheap to make. One head of cabbage makes so many servings which is great to bring for a potluck or party. People always ask me for the recipe and it really couldn’t be any simpler to recreate.
As tempted as I am to eat this right away, the ramen noodles need some time to soften. A stint overnight in the fridge allows them to soak up some of the delicious dressing while retaining some crunch. Served chilled it’s refreshing and has plenty of flavor amped up with the addition of the ramen flavor packets. Make this the night before and you’ll have a delicious hands free dish the day of. This dish keeps well in the fridge for several days up to a week. In fact, I would argue that the flavor only improves with time.
As far as the Ramen goes, if you have a particular favorite flavor or brand, feel free to give it a try in this recipe. I’ve always used the basic, generic college student ramen for this recipe. I used to make this a lot as a poor college student, cheap, easy and lots of it. Chicken is my preferred flavor but feel free to try beef or pork instead!
More than Cabbage
You can keep this recipe simple, but I like to add a bit of color with grated carrot. If I’m feeling really wild I’ll mix red cabbage and green cabbage for a full kaleidoscope of colors. Really pressed for time? Pre-sliced coleslaw mix from the store will do just fine in a pinch. I also like to add summer vegetables from the garden if they are in season, thinly sliced snap peas or snow peas, shredded zucchini, diced broccoli or cauliflower are all delicious options. What really makes this salad is the dressing, so go wild with the fresh veggies and make your own all time favorite version.
Subtle Flavors
Toasting the ramen noodles, sesame seeds and almonds is something I love to do for this recipe to bring the flavor up a notch. Toasting is a troublesome task for me, I can never quite seem to get it right, probably because I have no patience! With this recipe it’s best to add the toasted items in stages. First the ramen which will soak up a lot of the melted butter. Allow the noodles to get a little brown before adding the almonds. Lastly, when you’re just about happy with the level of toastiness add the sesame seeds and toast for one more minute.
All Time Favorite Easy Cabbage and Ramen Noodle Salad
Course: SidesCuisine: OrientalDifficulty: Easy10
servings30
minutes12
hoursDeliciously easy (and adaptable) cabbage and ramen noodle salad to feed a crowd, with green onions and toasted almonds tossed in an Asian inspired dressing.
Ingredients
- Salad
1 Head Green Cabbage – thinly sliced
3 Green Onions – thinly sliced
3 Medium Carrots – thinly sliced or grated
- Toasted Elements
3 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 C Sliced Almonds
2 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds (use white or black or a mix)
2-3 packs Ramen Noodles (I prefer chicken, but you can use beef or pork too – save the flavor packets)
- Dressing
1/2 C Neutral Oil
1 tsp. Sesame Seed Oil
1/4 C Rice Wine Vinegar
4 Tbsp. Sugar
2 – 3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
Flavor Packet from Ramen Noodles
*Depending on the size of your cabbage you may need to make a little more or less dressing.
Directions
- Salad
- Cut your cabbage in half, remove the core/stem and lay cut side down on the board so you have a stable surface. Thinly sliced the entire head of cabbage and like you would for coleslaw.
- Using a peeler to peel long wide strips of carrot. Stack strips on top of each other and use a sharp knife to create long thin strips. You can also grate your carrot using the large grate on a box grater.
- Finely slice the green onions.
- Place the cabbage, carrots, green onions and any other veggies you’d like or that is in season into a large bowl (Use a bowl bigger than you think you’ll need!).
- Toasting
- Place the dry ramen into a large ziplock bag and use a rolling pin or heavy bottomed bottle to smash in smaller chunks (about the size of thimble or smaller).
- Melt butter an a wide shallow pan and add dry ramen noodles. Allow to start toasting.
- Add sliced almonds to the pan and toast lightly
- Just before the Ramen Noodles and Almonds are done toasting, add the sesame seeds and toast.
- Dressing
- In a large bowl add the Oil, Rice Wine Vinegar, Sugar, Sesame Seed Oil, Soy Sauce and 1 Ramen Flavor Packet. Mix together with a whisk and taste. If you would like more flavor feel free to add additional packets of the Ramen Flavoring.
- Pour dressing over the rest of the ingredients and toss everything together well. Allow to sit in the fridge for a few hours to overnight before serving.
Looking Looking for Something A Bit More Comforting?
Check out my recipe for Beef Stroganoff using home canned mushrooms from the canning pantry!
